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With that admonition, U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson finished sentencing William E.
Johnson II for his part in a gun-trafficking ring that stretched to the East Coast.

“I won’t,” Johnson responded at the hearing yesterday.

Johnson II, 25, of Wedgewood Drive on the West Side, was one of three Columbus men who bought
guns from Ohio sellers in 2009 and 2010. They claimed on federal forms that they were buying the
guns for themselves, but they sold them to a New Jersey man who resold them to dealers in other
states.

Johnson pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to illegally purchase firearms, which carries a
maximum five-year prison term, and to making false statements during a firearms purchase, which has
a maximum 10-year term.

Watson sentenced him to six months of house arrest, three years of probation and 150 hours of
community service after learning that he had no criminal history, had worked in the same job since
2011 and had admitted his wrongdoing.

The probation office recommended a one-year prison sentence; Johnson asked in a sentencing
memorandum for three years of probation.

“I’m prepared to give you a significant break, ... but if you screw up, you’re going to prison,”
Watson said. “You appear to be genuinely remorseful.”

Johnson said he became involved with the gun-trafficking middleman when he was trying to earn
extra money to support his family.

“The only thing I wanted to do was to be a better father than my father was and take care of my
family,” he said.

Jose B. Velez, Johnson’s attorney, said his client “hopefully has learned a lesson from this”
and will have better judgment in the future.

An agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said none of the
firearms traced back to Johnson had been used in violent crimes.

Another defendant from Columbus, Antonio R. Berry, 23, of Larry Place on the East Side, was
sentenced to three years probation yesterday for conspiring to illegally purchase firearms. A third
defendant, Joseph Berry, 25, of Dundee Avenue on the East Side, is scheduled to be sentenced today
on the same charges as Johnson.

According to the ATF, the market for illegally purchased guns is fueled by drug dealers and gang
members who have been convicted of felonies and can’t legally own guns.

New Jersey has strict regulations for gun purchases. Ohio doesn’t require a background check
when a firearm is transferred between private parties and doesn’t limit the number of handguns
purchased at one time.